There are a variety of cupholders or container holders utilized for supporting cups, cans or other beverage containers in vehicles which are selectively accessible to the vehicle passengers or occupants. Many of these container holders have been stored in armrest assemblies in the vehicles. Examples of such holders include U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,111, issued Jul. 24, 1990 in the name of VanderLaan and U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,017, issued Apr. 4, 1989 in the name of Dykstra et al. Both patents relate to cupholders which are stored in armrests in the vehicle. A full lid or cover on the armrest is raised and a cupholder mechanism is removed from internal the armrest and secured outwardly of the armrest. The lid of the armrest may be closed with the cupholder extending from the armrest. The problem with these types of holders is the difficulty of accessing the holder, i.e., the user must maneuver several components to properly position the cupholder to receive a cup or container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,659, issued Aug. 9, 1977 in the name of Arnold discloses a food tray and a cupholder combination for automobiles which slides out from within the armrest and from the front face thereof. The problem with this holder is that it requires substantial lateral space in front of armrest for extension and full deployment of a pair of cupholders and trays.